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Monday, August 20, 2012

Cover Crop Growing

Nothing about this year has been what we would call normal in GriggsDakota. We had a mild Winter with little snow, followed by a long cool dry Spring. Then there was a hot July which drifted into August. In early August, when we are often getting our first real blast of heat, the weather cooled to be pleasant and again dry. We have had short timely, but very spotty rains. All of this has combined to mean an early finish to small grain harvest and time to plant Cover Crops in August.

The Cover Crop, a mix of field peas, tillage radishes, and turnips which are growing on the barley stubble. We had a splash of rain and they seem to be off and growing.

The peas stand out among the barley leaves. Our combines are set to allow thin seeds to pass through which I theorize is the reason that we have barley growing in the stubble.

The radishes this year are Jackhammer Radishes which we are hoping will have a chance to do their work penetrating deep into the ground. If the Autumn lingers, as it often does in GriggsDakota this has the potential of being a benchmark test of what Cover Crops can do here.

The cornfield stands guard near the sprouting seedlings, waiting its turn for harvest in GriggsDakota.